Apparatus for limiting shaving geometry variation in safety razors

ABSTRACT

A blade guard is yieldingly supported for positioning thereof responsive to forces encountered by the guard in shaving activity. Means are included for restricting blade guard movement responsive to preselected forces to diminish nicking.

Unite States Patent [1 1,

Braginetz et a1.

[ Dec. 10, 1974 APPARATUS FOR LIMITING SHAVING GEOMETRY VARIATION IN SAFETY RAZORS Inventors: Paul A. Braginetz, Staunton, Va.;

Frederick L. Risher, Jackson, Miss.

Assignee: Philip Morris Incorporated, New

York, N.Y.

Filed: Mar. 28, 1973 Appl. No.: 345,546

U.s.'c| 30/77', 30/74.1 Int. Cl B26b 21/18 Field of Search '30/34 R, 51, 60.5, 74.1,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1943 Peters 30/77 2,434,275 1/1948 Langdon 3 7 X 3,088,206 5/1963 Muros M 30/77 X 3,557,450 1/1971 Braginetz.... 30/60.5 3,657,810 4/1972 Nissen 30/77 UX 3,657,811 4/1972 Nissen .1 30/77 3,740,841 6/1973 Risher 30/77 X Primary ExaminerAl Lawrence Smith Assistant Examiner-Gary L. Smith Attorney, Agent, or Firm-.Watsoh, Leavenworth, Kelton & Taggart [57] ABSTRACT A blade guard is yieldingly supported forpositioning thereof responsive to forces encountered by the guard in shaving activity. Means are included for restricting blade guard movement responsive to preselected forces to diminish nicking.

7 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures FIELD OF THE INVENTION 7 I This invention relates to safety razors providing variable shaving geometry and more particularly to apparatus for limiting shaving geometry variation therein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In effecting variable shaving geometry, the art has,

ent shaving angles. In instances where shaving geometry variation is to be preselected by the shaver, provision has been made for selector mechanism operative by him to position the blade guard in desiredmanner and to maintain the same in such position throughout shaving activity, as in US. Pat. No. 3,088,206. Altematively, where shaving geometry is to be variable throughout shaving, depending on the shaving activity itself rather than preselection, prior art efforts have incorporated blade guards yieldably supported for movement in accord with forces applied thereto by the shaver. In this latterinstance, as typified in US. Pat. Nos. 2,434,275 and 2,327,967, safety razors have employed yieldable blade guide support arrangements passively responsive to all applied forces, i.e., completely lacking in self-regulation. Such arrangements permit quite extensive blade cutting edge exposure on shaver error and hence provide less than desired protection against nicking. I

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus affording improved protection in variable shaving geometry safety razors.

It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide apparatus for use in variable shaving geometry razors which is selectively responsive to blade guard forces developed by the shaver in the course of shaving.

In the efficient attainment of the foregoing and other objects the present invention provides apparatus, usful in razors of the single edge or double edge type, including a blade support, a blade guard supported for movement relative to the blade support in accordance with shaving activity and cooperative therewith to define blade cutting angles and meansoperative to selectively restrict blade guard movement responsive to predetermined forces applied to the blade guard. In accordance with the constraints imposed by the apparatus of the invention, the blade cutting angle, while ,variable,'is limited to a range providing less likelihood of nicking on shaver error.

' BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS F IGUI is a side elevational view of preferred constituents of the apparatus of the invention in assembled form.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the assembly of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, the assembly therein comprises a blade support 10 having a central expanse l2and blade-seating platforms 14 elevated above the central expanse by wall 16. The platforms preferably comprise a generally horizontal portion 18 and portions20 downwardly inclined therefrom. A blade B. seated on cording with the inclination of portion 20. Caps C may be supported'by cross arms CA for pivotal movement from their illustrated position into an open or bladechanging position effected by rotation of knob K relative to handle H as shown more particularly in Braginetz US. Pat. No. 3,557,450.

Blade guard member 22 includes blade guards 24 disposed in generally underlying juxtaposition with the margins of portion 20 of blade support 12. The guards are supported immediately by lands 26 and in turn by inner expanse 28 of member 22. The blade guard defines apertures 29 for soap passage. Referring to FIG. 2, member 22 preferably comprises a common sheet of material and elements 24, 26 and 28 comprise integral portions thereof. By virtue of the reduced dimensions of lands 26 relative to expanse 28, the lands define resilient or elastically deformable support means for guards 24. Design parameters are so selected that the lands are elastically deformed on application to the guards of such forces as occur when the guards are pressed against the skin of a shaver. As will be seen in FIG. 1, clearance exists between the guards and the margins 20a of portion 20 of blade support 12, a clearance which is reduced upon upward movements of the guards. Accordingly, the preselected shaving angle in the configuration illustrated in FIG. 1 may be diminished by user choice in the course of shaving by mere increase of upward pressure on the guards.

A rigid member 30, preferably planar in configuration, is disposed in underlying relation to blade guard member 22. Referring to FIG. 2, the rigid member preferably comprises an inner expanse 32 and a plurality of ears 34 extending laterally thereof and so positioned as to underlie lands 26. By this arrangement, a free passage for soap is defined, i.e., through blade guard member apertures 29 and thence through the space between ears 34. I i

Rigid member 30 functions to regulate shaving geometry variation by selectively engaging lands 26 thus limiting elastic deformation thereof and hence preventing downward movement of guards 24. Thus, resilient means 26 providing immediate guard support are limited in variably positioning the guards to define the preselected cutting angle and lesser angles. Considered alternatively, the lands provide yielding supports for the blade guards and such yielding is selectively restricted to insure that cutting angles promoting nicking cannot arise responsive to shaving force applied to the blade guards.

The parts depicted in exploded form in FIG. 2 may be provided in the assembled form of FIG. 1 for integral joinder to other parts of a razor. For this purpose, blade support 12 may define slots 36 for the receipt of lugs 38 of member 22 and the lugs may be folded over onto the blade support .to secure these parts together. Rigid member 30 may be welded as at 40, 42 or otherwise joined to member 22 before assembly. Support 12 and members 22 and 30 may define in the central expanses thereof keyed apertures 44, 46 and 48 respectively, for receipt of a bridge staking projection of a razor to facilitate registration thereof inthe razor. While the assembly of the invention is not limited for use therein, a particularly suitable razor for use of the assembly is illustrated in above-referenced US Pat. No. 3,557,450. The assembly herein may be readily staked in place in substitution for the blade seat in the referenced patent, a blade inserted and the clamshell caps brought into engagement with the blade as discussed in such patent.

As will be appreciated, the constituents of the apparatus herein need not be secured in self-supporting assembly as above discussed. Thus, the constituents may be inserted separately on a support stem of a razor and then staked or otherwise individually secured therein.

In the design of blade guard member 22, lands 26 may be of reduced thickness relative to the remainder of member 22 to the extent that they still retain sufficient stability for maintaining the blade guards in respectively parallel positions upon movement thereof. Each blade guard may be provided in double thickness by forming the same in double length and folding one half-length part under the other half-length part.

Various modifications evident to those skilled in the art may be readily introduced in the foregoing particularly disclosed embodiment of the apparatus of the invention without departing from the invention. Thus, the embodiment particularly disclosed is intended to be illustrative and not limiting. The true spirit and scope of the invention is set forth in the claims.

What is claimed is: v

1. In combination, in a razor having a handle and a blade: a blade support fixedly positioned with respect to said handle; a blade guard; a resilient member yieldingly supporting said blade guard for movement with respect to said handle into different positions relative to said blade support defining different cutting angles for said blade; and a rigid element fixedly disposed relative to said resilient member and cooperative therewith to prevent movement'of said blade guard into' positions defining blade cutting angles in excess of a preselected maximum blade cutting angle while permitting said resilient member to yieldingly support said-blade guard in positions defining said maximumblade cutting angle and lesser blade cutting angles responsively to shaving forces applied to said blade guard.

2. The invention claimed in claim 1 wherein said blade guard and said resilient member comprise, different portions of a common sheet of material.

3. The invention claimed in claim 1 wherein said blade support, said resilient member and said rigid element each define apertures facilitating registration thereof in said razor.

4. In combination, in a razor: a blade seat; a support member having a blade guard portion and a resilient portion supporting said blade guard portion spacedly adjacent a margin of said blade seat and yieldingly responsive to shaving force applied to said blade guard portion during use of said razor to yieldingly support said blade guard in different positions defining diverse blade cutting angles; and means contacting .said support member resilient portion and cooperative therewith for selectively restricting such yielding thereof.

5. In combination in a razor having a handle: a blade seat fixedly positioned with respect to said handle; a blade supported by said blade seat; a resilient member having a blade guard integral therewith and yieldingly responsive to shaving forces applied to said blade guard to variably position the same with respect to said handle and relative to said blade seat to vary'the cutting angleof said blade; and a rigid member disposed in underlying relation to said resilient member and engageable therewith to limit such blade cutting angle variation. I

6. In combination, in a razor having a handle: a blade support fixedly positioned with respect to said handle and having a platform for seating a blade in said razor; a bladeguard; a blade guard support member supporting said blade guard in a first position relative to said platform thereby defining a preselected cutting angle for said blade and elastically deformableresponsive to shaving forces applied to said blade guard to support said blade guard in positions other than said first position thereby defining other cutting angles for said blade; and means engageable with said blade guard support means upon predetermined deformation thereof to selectively restrict further elastic deformation thereof.

7. The invention claimed in claim 6 wherein said blade guard and said blade guard support member comprise different portions of a common sheet of material. 

1. In combination, in a razor having a handle and a blade: a blade support fixedly positioned with respect to said handle; a blade guard; a resilient member yieldingly supporting said blade guard for movement with respect to said handle into different positions relative to said blade support defining different cutting angles for said blade; and a rigid element fixedly disposed relative to said resilient member and cooperative therewith to prevent movement of said blade guard into positions defining blade cutting angles in excess of a preselected maximum blade cutting angle while permitting said resilient member to yieldingly support said blade guard in positions defining said maximum blade cutting angle and lesser blade cutting angles responsively to shaving forces applied to said blade guard.
 1. In combination, in a razor having a handle and a blade: a blade support fixedly positioned with respect to said handle; a blade guard; a resilient member yieldingly supporting said blade guard for movement with respect to said handle into different positions relative to said blade support defining different cutting angles for said blade; and a rigid element fixedly disposed relative to said resilient member and cooperative therewith to prevent movement of said blade guard into positions defining blade cutting angles in excess of a preselected maximum blade cutting angle while permitting said resilient member to yieldingly support said blade guard in positions defining said maximum blade cutting angle and lesser blade cutting angles responsively to shaving forces applied to said blade guard.
 2. The invention claimed in claim 1 wherein said blade guard and said resilient member comprise different portions of a common sheet of material.
 3. The invention claimed in claim 1 wherein said blade support, said resilient member and said rigid element each define apertures facilitating registration thereof in said razor.
 4. In combination, in a razor: a blade seat; a support member having a blade guard portion and a resilient portion supporting said blade guard portion spacedly adjacent a margin of said blade seat and yieldingly responsive to shaving force applied to said blade guard portion during use of said razor to yieldingly support said blade guard in different positions defining diverse blade cutting angles; and means contacting said support member resilient portion and cooperative therewith for selectively restricting such yielding thereof.
 6. In combination, in a razor having a handle: a blade support fixedly positioned with respect to said handle and having a platform for seating a blade in said razor; a blade guard; a blade guard support member supporting said blade guard in a first position relative to said platform thereby defining a preselected cutting angle for said blade and elastically deformable responsive to shaving forces applied to said blade guard to support said blade guard in positions other than said first position thereby defining other cutting angles for said blade; and means engageable with said blade guard support means upon predetermined deformation thereof to selectively restrict further elastic deformation thereof.
 7. The invention claimed in claim 6 wherein said blade guard and said blade guard support member comprise different portions of a common sheet of material. 